Brought some 3’cedars back to life in original pots.Can I bring them in house for winter?
The question of how best to overwinter potted cedars has come up a few times on our website, although usually in the context of keeping the shrubs in sheltered spots outdoors over the winter, with a view to planting them outside in the spring. Your question has a bit of a twist, as you wish to bring them indoors.
The following earlier posting on the Toronto Master Gardeners website is of interest to you:
- Cedars in pots over winter Toronto area This post brings up a couple of issues that will affect your cedars. It notes that potted cedars need lots of light of the right spectrum so they can continue to photosynthesize. Being in a sunny spot indoors may not suffice – special lights may be needed. As well, cedars also need a period of cold dormancy, where they get ready for the spring growth spurt – your cedars would not be exposed to the cold.
- Overwintering emerald cedar tree in a pot
- Growing emerald cedar in container (see also the links at the end of that post)
Consider also planting your cedars outdoors — the best time to do so is in cool weather, either spring or autumn. It’s now the last week of September, so if you decide not to experiment with bringing your cedars indoors, planting them in the next few weeks would be ideal.